Battle of Gurusar

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Gurdwara Gurusar where last rights of martyers were performed
Battle of Gurusar

Date: 1631
Location : Mehraj & lahira,Bathinda
Reason : Horses Snatched by Bhai Bidhi Chand.

Combatants/Commanders
Guru Hargobind, Bhai Rai Jodh with 4000 Soldiers Qamar Beg & Lala beg with 35 Thousand Soldeirs

Results
Guru Sahib lost 1200 Saint Soldiers including Kirt Bhatt Ji and Bhai Jetha Ji. Sameer Beg and his two sons Shams Beg and Qasim Beg were also killed. The Mughal forces fled to Lahore leaving behind the dead and wounded

Battle of Gurusar was third battle fought by Guru Har Gobind ji near Mehraj with Qamar Beig and Lala Beg in 1688. The battle was fought during winter season and guru ji's were 4000 in number whereas mughals were 35 thousand in number. Guru ji pre-planned everything and was ready for battle.

Reason of Conflict

Snatching horses

Guru Hargobind Sahib retired to the semi desert wastelands of Bhatinda. (While leaving Amritsar for the Malwa region, Guru Sahib took Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with him but after making a halt for sometime at Daroli he sent Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to Kartarpur along with his family). Soon after this, an incident occured involving two horses, between Guru Sahib and the Subedar of Lahore.

Once the Sangat from Kabul and Peshawar was coming to meet guru sahib, Bhai Bakhat Mall, Bhai Tara Chand, Bhai Dyal Chand were leading the congregation with other masands. Acc. to Twarikh Guru Khalsa, their counting was One thousand to twelve hundred.

There was a Famous Horse Trader and Devotee of Guru Sahib in the congregation named Seth Karhorhi Mall who was a dedicated devotee of the Guru in the Afgan territory. He had raised and trained two magnificent horses which he intended to give to the Guru. The horses, on their journey to the Guru's Darbar had drawn many admirers on their trip across the Punjab and many wealthy men had tried to convince Karorhi mall to part with the horses by offering offering him a princely sum, but Karorhi mall always replied that these were not his horses but guru's horses.

Before reaching Lahore, rumours of their beauty had reached the Mughal Govenor's ears. An avid collector of horses he too offered the young Sikh a small fortune for each horse-only to be turned down. So before the sangat left Lahore the Subedar's henchmen forcibly snatched the magnificent horses and took them to the Govenor's stable area, in the upper courtyard of Lahore Fort. The Governer also gave a cheque of rs. 5 thousand.

Seth became very sad and with his sad face the congregation went to amritsar, tarn taran, goindwal, khadoor, etc.; crossing harike they reached village Sidhar (Gurusar Sidhar today) where guru sahib ji was residing. After meeting guru sahib the whole congregation was delighted but Seth Karhorhi Mall was sad, he kept the cheque given by Qamas Beig and cried that the horses which had belonged to his guru had been snatched by the mughal governer in lahore. Guru Sahib said they will teach a lesson to such people who have high authorities and they do dhakkashahi with poor people. Guru ji said seth not to worry his donation had been accepted and the horses would be here soon.

The Recovery of Dilbagh and Gulbagh

Image depicting Bhai Bidhi Chand Recovering horse from Lahore fort

When the matter came to the attention of Guru Sahib he asked if their were any among his Court who could think of a way to recover the horses. Bhai Bidhi Chand a daring disciple, who before becoming a Sikh was a noted thief, managed to recover the horses one by one from the royal stable. He offered his services and asked for Guru’s grace. It was a long planned action without bloodshed. Some people question the wisdom of this action. But perhaps this was the right way to deal with the wrongful actions of the mighty chieftains of the Mugals, without harming anybody. Bhai Bidhi Chand, under the guise of a grass cutter, went to Lahore to offer his services at the stable. After about 3 to 4 months he was employed specifically to care for the two horses. After he had gained the trust of the whole staff, he offered a party to the whole staff of the fort. By the night, when all were completely drunk, he took away one horse and reached Amritsar.

The remaining horse soon grew dispondent and refused to eat. He obviously missed his companion. Soon the Nawaab's officials sought the help of a fortune teller who might be able to recover the 'stollen' horse. So disguising himself as a fortune teller, Bhai Bidhi Chand once again offered his services. He convinced the authorities that he had to re-enact a similar scenario , in order to give them the where abouts of the missing steed. The baffled officials created a similar situation allowing Bhai Bidhi Chand to mount the remaining horse. He then yelled out that he that he was the former grass cutter, as he and the horse leaped over the low wall of the court yard to the river Ravi. (the river at that time ran alongside the fort) Riding to to return to Amritsar the horses were reunited. Seth Karhorhi Mall's gift of Dilbagh and Gulbagh had reached Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji.

The officials in Lahore could only laugh at their folly.

Prepration Of Battle

Bhai Rai Jodh Knew that area very well. Guru sahib asked Bhai Rai Jodh to suggest the place, where their small force would able to fought with large troops and would win. Rai Jodh suggested to fight through his fort but guru ji denied and said he want to act in battlefeild.

Then Bhai Rai Jodh suggested that "From here 5 km there's village Nathana and Mehraj is 3 KM from that Nathan and on it's south eastern side, there's a forest and there are two water resorviors nearby(out of which one was known as KaluNath Di Ganga) and so it would be apropriate to camp there as there's no water for around 20 - 30 KM's. There was very dense and thick forest with wild trees. The Gurus Soldiers were 2400 in number, joined by 500 pongos of Rai Jodh, with his uncle Chacha Ugarsein and 500 Soldiers of Salem Shah who was also devotee of guru. The whole counting was around 4000 Soldeirs. Bhai Rai Jodh, Bhai Salem shah and Chacha Ugarsen were ready to participate and they had control over two resorviors.

Some name of sikhs mentioned in historical accounts who participated in the battle were Bhai Jetha, Bhai Manjh, Bai Meetoo, Bhai Bhoma, Bhai Katara, Bhai Bhagoo, Bhai Bhaga, bhai Bidhi Chand, Bhai Jaita etc. Mughal would take four days to reach the place and before that sikhs were almost ready. The Sangat of Malwa were supplying, the required things including meals and things which help to keep them warm in cool season. The Sikh forces under the command of Rai Jodh and Kirt Bhatt camped near a water reservoir.

The Subedar of Kabul, Lala Beg and his brother Qamar Beig was ready with 35 thousand forces. Some generals whose names comes in historical accounts were Kabuli Beig, Ismaiyali Khan, Nahar Khan, Zalam Khan, Shamash beig, etc. It's Said Shah Jahan ordered these generals to attack on guru. The Mughal fauj was also joied by Rajputs of Raikot and Rangarhs of Aandru and Halwara.

Hassan Khan

Hassan Khan was secret agent of Lala beig who was keeping eyes on positions and places of guru sahib, He atttired himself as a sikh and entered in guru's fauj. Bhai Rai jodh recognize that Hassan was sent from enemy side, he arrested him and present before Guru Sahib.

Guru sahib did not punish him but sent him back telling him to pass message to Lala beig about that they are ready and also tell him about our locations, positions and places. Hassan Khan told Lala beig all the locations and preprations of guru's army and also said that Guru Sahib is fearless warrior and were ready to bear our attack. After Hearing Praise of Guru Sahib, lala beig and his volunteers and hit him with hunters and throwed him out of the force by calling him infeidal. Hassan khan came to guru sahib with sad face and guru sahib gave him blessing that he would be subedar of Kabul instead of Lala Beig.

Arrival to Mehraj

The Army was coming toward Mehraj, crossed satluj, moga, gill and other villages, from villages they got some food of millet pudding, millet chapatis etc, Even the water was saline in the area, so maximum soldeirs were fall ill and moreover it was winter season, cool breeze was blowing so soldeirs were getting down and in tired condition army reached mehraj.They knew that the water resoirvior are under guru sahib so there is a place called korhiyan ki marhi where a saudagar have a well, so to takw water we should reach there. When mughal fauj was moving toward the well the dawn down.

The Scene

According to some chronicle (on 16th December 1634) the Sikhs waged a guerilla attack on the Mughal forces at night, which resulted in heavy causalities in the Mughal camp.

The gurus fauj was in form of jathas waiting for enemies, when they saw mughal fauj, gurus fauj attacked on them, it was afrha dafrhi, the guns were used by gurus fauj in instance and mughalsw ere starting dieng. Nawab Lala beg switch on the mashaal and saw that sikh fauj are furious and many in number. Lala Beg ordered his brother Qamarbeg khan and 7000 soldiers to fight in yudh bhumi and tell other generals to be ready and make camps. The carts which were loading whole things of use like food, istara etc stopped behing and starting seking the fire, the generals which were send back also started seking the fire, but 7000 soldiers were fighting in rapture. When Rai jodh shah saw that mughal's zor vadh gaya he send his brother with 500 soldiers salem shah with soldiers attacked on sipahis

It was very cool weather.

The soldiers were fighting with sikhs and cold too, there hands were sunn due to cold and maximum are dying from sikhs. Lala beg order qamarbeg to agvayi the fauj but qamar beg was in this mentality that sikhs are just salt in flaour and we would destroy them and arrest peer in night. In battlefeild with bows and arrows the organs were cutting and cutting and falling on earth. The horse riders were also falling due to blood shed and corpse everywhere. mughals were cutting wadding themselves. so now fauj was trying to escape. Qamar beg also went back and told the fauj which was send on front, maximum are killed and some escaped. Lala beg said that would attack the other day.

Next day lala beg and qamar beg came with more 8000 forces. some great warriors like gull khan and bhikhan khan etc who wre winner of many battles were their. the barood was filled in guns and rai jodh attacked with guns on dushman, the haunsla of sikh soorma get buland while watching dad enemy forces.Gurus fauj have already firewood as they were known to all place so sikh soorma were also seking the agg, from earest villages people were sending langar for guru's fauj. sikhs were around 2000 in number, and continual firing and due to thand etc mughal fauj vaar na jhal saki and some sikhs and mughal fauj died and some escaped. So during dark lala beg got news the next jatha also killed. then he discussed with his general nephew kabuli beg, and said that due to loss of mashal in dark, gurus fauj continual shoot and which makes us nuksaan. they were planning to attack the other day but qasam beig and shamash beg son of lala beg said that they would attack in night, so 10 thousand forces attacked with qasam beig, shamash beig, kabuli beig, kqamar beig, gul khan, bhikhan khan etc.

This time mughal bhari on sikh fauj and the atmosphere was dusty due to sand uddi due to panjaas. bidhi chand when saw all this he went and benti kiti that enemy dabaw increase and ageya baksho, bidhi chand was leading 1000 sikhs and attacked on fauj, bhai jetha, bhai meetoo, bhai manjh , bhai bhoma etc faught with ecstacy.25 ooo of mughal fauj was died and escaped from arena, the corpse was lying on corpse. the land was orheya red chadar, beant swords and nejas were laying down. when lala beg saw all this in anger he attacked sikhs with remaining fauj bhai rai jodh, chacha ugarsen and thier fauj also came to sharna the waar. when guru got news that mughals attacked again, guru ji sat on his horse and went to battle feild with hassan khan, hassan khan make guru identifu lala beg and kamarbeg khan and kabuli beg, shamsh beg and kasam beig and hassan khan told all secrets.

Then guru ji shot an arrow to crown of lala beg and crown fall own the whole fauj said it's apshagun, when people saw guru ji they were feared due to his personality. Rai jod and salem shah and bhai bidhi chand with all remaining forces entered in battle feild and bohot katt vadd hoyi. Jatt, Bhalan and malik sikhs were fighting. Jatt Sikh have bharpoor yogdan in fight. Guru ji was with hassan khan who was telling about general and guru ji was shooting arrows on them. Kabuli beg moved toward guru sahib and faught with him with arrows then sword then body to body called dwand judh. kabuli attacked on guru and make wound in return guru ji attaced an dwith sword sirr kat katt kattt., jodh shah bhuyoya duppata and put on guru and rai jodh attacked qamar beg, qamar attack and wounded rai jod but rai jodh killed him after furious battle. it is said that he paro ke in same saang throw before guru, bhalan a gursikh and qasam beig killed shamsh beg and qasam beig.

When all relatives of lala beg was killed other generals like ismail khan, abdali zalam khan, nahar khan, habshi khan etc planned to attack. the sikhs who were fighting were salem shah, bidhi chand, chaudhari choharh, bhai dulat, bhai jetha(guru's lion), bhai bhagta, bhai nanda, bhai singha etc were fighting with them. bhai partap want agya from guru to attack on him then guru ji replied he is vangarda sahnu so i would fight. guru ji was already wounded but he faught with lala beg and cut him in two and jaikara Jai bolo baba nanak ji ki. other generals like habshi was killed by bhalan brarsly gulbeg khan was killed by bidhi chand, ismail khan was by rai lal, behlol khan was by bhai jaita, qamar beg by rai jodh and whole turks fled away.

it was a furious battle

Result

The Sikhs routed and defeated the enemy. Guru Sahib lost 1200 Saint Soldiers including Kirt Bhatt Ji and Bhai Jetha Ji. On the other side Sameer Beg and his two sons Shams Beg and Qasim Beg were also killed. The Mughal forces fled to Lahore leaving behind the dead and wounded. The Sikhs did not intercept the fleeing enemy. Guru Sahib built a tank called Gurusar commemorating the victory. Near the village of Nathane Guru Sahib defeated another encounter with a Mughal force.

Aftermath

Memorials

Also See

References

  • Sri Gurpartap Suraj Granth, Bhai Santokh Singh
  • History Board at Gurdwara Gurusar Sahib clicked by Jarnail Singh
  • History Book by Bhai Veer Singh, Head Granthi
  • Santsipahee.com
Battles By Guru Har Gobind

Battle of Amritsar || Battle Of Hargobindpur || Battle Of Gurusar || Battle Of Kartarpur || Battle Of Kiratpur

Battles By Sikh Gurus

Battle of Amritsar || Battle Of Hargobindpur || Battle Of Gurusar || Battle Of Kartarpur || Battle Of Kiratpur || Battle of Bhangani || Battle of Nadaun || Battle of Anandpur || Battle of Chamkaur || Battle of Muktsar